TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Psalms 37:34–40. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
The psalmist's conclusion of this sermon (for that is the nature of this poem) is of the same purport with the whole, and inculcates the same things.
I.The duty here pressed upon us is still the same (Psa 37:34):
Wait on the Lord and keep his way. Duty is ours, and we must mind it and make conscience of it, keep God's way and never turn out of it nor loiter in it, keep close, keep going; but events are God's and we must refer ourselves to him for the disposal of them; we must wait on the Lord, attend the motions of his providence, carefully observe them, and conscientiously accommodate ourselves to them. If we make conscience of keeping God's way, we may with cheerfulness wait on him and commit to him our way; and we shall find him a good Master both to his working servants and to his waiting servants.
II.The reasons to enforce this duty are much the same too, taken from the certain destruction of the wicked and the certain salvation of the righteous. This good man, being tempted to envy the prosperity of the wicked, that he might fortify himself against the temptation, goes into the sanctuary of God and leads us thither (Psa 73:17); there he understands their end, and thence gives us to understand it, and, by comparing that with the end of the righteous, baffles the temptation and puts it to silence. Observe,
1.The misery of the wicked at last, however they may prosper awhile: The end of the wicked shall be cut off (Psa 37:38); and that cannot be well that will undoubtedly end so ill. The wicked, in their end, will be cut off from all good and all hopes of it; a final period will be put to all their joys, and they will be for ever separated from the fountain of life to all evil.
(1.)Some instances of the remarkable ruin of wicked people David had himself observed in this world - that the pomp and prosperity of sinners would not secure them from the judgments of God when their day should come to fall (Psa 37:36, Psa 37:35): I have seen a wicked man (the word is singular), suppose Saul or Ahithophel (for David was an old man when he penned this psalm), in great power, formidable (so some render it), the terror of the mighty in the land of the living, carrying all before him with a high hand, and seeming to be firmly fixed and finely flourishing, spreading himself like a green bay-tree, which produces all leaves and no fruit; like a native home-born Israelite (so Dr. Hammond), likely to take root. But what became of him? Eliphaz, long before, had learned, when he saw the foolish taking root, to curse his habitation, Job 5:3. And David saw cause for it; for this bay-tree withered away as soon as the fig-tree. Christ cursed: He passed away as a dream, as a shadow, such was he and all the pomp and power he was so proud of. He was gone in an instant: He was not; I sought him with wonder, but he could not be found. He had acted his part and then quitted the stage, and there was no miss of him.
(2.)The total and final ruin of sinners, of all sinners, will shortly be made as much a spectacle to the saints as they are now sometimes made a spectacle to the world (Psa 37:34): When the wicked are cut off (and cut off they certainly will be) thou shalt see it, with awful adorations of the divine justice. The transgressors shall be destroyed together, Psa 37:38. In this world God singles out here one sinner and there another, out of many, to be made an example in terrorem - as a warning; but in the day of judgment there will be a general destruction of all the transgressors, and not one shall escape. Those that have sinned together shall be damned together. Bind them in bundles, to burn them.
2.The blessedness of the righteous, at last. Let us see what will be the end of God's poor despised people.
(1.)Preferment. There have been times the iniquity of which has been such that men's piety has hindered their preferment in this world, and put them quite out of the way of raising estates; but those that keep God's way may be assured that in due time he will exalt them, to inherit the land (Psa 37:34); he will advance them to a place in the heavenly mansions, to dignity, and honour, and true wealth, in the New Jerusalem, to inherit that good land, that land of promise, of which Canaan was a type; he will exalt them above all contempt and danger.
(2.)Peace, Psa 37:37. Let all people mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; take notice of him to admire him and imitate him, keep your eye upon him to observe what comes of him, and you will find that the end of that man is peace. Sometimes the latter end of his days proves more comfortable to him than the beginning was; the storms blow over, and he is comforted again, after the time that he was afflicted. However, if all his days continue dark and cloudy, perhaps his dying day may prove comfortable to him and his sun may set in brightness; or, if it should set under a cloud, yet his future state will be peace, everlasting peace. Those that walk in their uprightness while they live shall enter into peace when they die, Isa 57:2. A peaceful death has concluded the troublesome life of many a good man; and all is well that thus ends everlastingly well. Balaam himself wished that his death and his last end might be like that of the righteous Num 23:10.
(3.)Salvation, Psa 37:39, Psa 37:40. The salvation of the righteous (which may be applied to the great salvation of which the prophets enquired and searched diligently, Pe1 1:10) is of the Lord; it will be the Lord's doing. The eternal salvation, that salvation of God which those shall see that order their conversation aright (Psa 50:23), is likewise of the Lord. And he that intends Christ and heaven for them will be a God all-sufficient to them: He is their strength in time of trouble, to support them under it and carry them through it. He shall help them and deliver them, help them to do their duties, to bear their burdens, and to maintain their spiritual conflicts, help them to bear their troubles well and get good by them, and, in due time, shall deliver them out of their troubles. He shall deliver them from the wicked that would overwhelm them and swallow them up, shall secure them there, where the wicked cease from troubling. He shall save them, not only keep them safe, but make them happy, because they trust in him, not because they have merited it from him, but because they have committed themselves to him and reposed a confidence in him, and have thereby honoured him.
Historical interpretation
Five Centuries of Reception
4 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
It is right and holy therefore, men and brethren, rather to obey God than to follow those who, through pride and sedition, have become the leaders of a detestable emulation. For we shall incur no slight injury, but rather great danger, if we rashly yield ourselves to the inclinations of men who aim at exciting strife and tumults, so as to draw us away from what is good. Let us be kind one to another after the pattern of the tender mercy and benignity of our Creator. For it is written, "The kind-hearted shall inhabit the land, and the guiltless shall be left upon it, but transgressors shall be destroyed from off the face of it." [Proverbs 2:21-22] And again [the Scripture] says, "I saw the ungodly highly exalted, and lifted up like the cedars of Lebanon: I passed by, and, behold, he was not; and I diligently sought his place, and could not find it. Preserve innocence, and look on equity: for there shall be a remnant to the peaceable man." [Psalm 37:35-37]
(Verse 35.) Finally, listen to him saying: I saw the wicked one exalted and raised above the cedars of Lebanon. And I passed by, and behold, he was not. I saw him in this age, I saw with the eyes of the body; I also saw him boasting and exalting himself with his words, considering himself to be something, who is nothing. How does he exalt himself? I will set my throne above the clouds, and I will be like the Most High (Isaiah 14:14). He exalts himself so that you may see him exalted like the towering cedars of Lebanon: and they themselves are tall, and they are on the highest mountain. Therefore, those who are exalted are deservedly exalted, and the wicked, who establishes himself on that mountain about which it is written: If you have faith like a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain: Be lifted up and thrown into the sea (Matt. XVII, 19). To whom? To the devil, he says, from whom this man was possessed and oppressed, whom you marvel at being healed. Therefore, he has more love in Christ than power in the devil. You see the cedar on the highest mountain exalted; but it is broken by the wind, it is burned by fire, it is dissolved by age: so it is with the rich person in the world. It shines indeed with a certain brilliance of secular grace, like Mount Lebanon. It leans on the power of the world, rejoicing in wealth and riches. Something seems to be to you, before you say: \"I will go over and see\" (Exodus 3:3). For just as Moses passed over material things with his soul and mind, and saw God, so too, if you pass from here, lifting the footprint of your mind to the grace of God, you will see that He is nothing who seemed most powerful to himself in this land. Therefore, God, the Word, says to your soul, says to your mind: Come here from Lebanon, my bride, come here from Lebanon: you will pass over and go through. If you pass over worldly things, you will go through to paradise. Listen to the one passing by, Remember me, Lord, when you come into your kingdom. Listen again to the one passing through: Truly, truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.
What is: Behold, it was not. In the beginning, indeed, the Word was. And whoever sees the Word, who is a partaker of the Word, indeed he himself is; because the Word of God always is, and the speech which is from Him is not: It is and it is not; but: It is; and it remains in the one who follows God. But whoever does not know the Word, he is not, because he does not adhere to Him who said: I am who I am (Exod. III, 14). But whoever adheres to Him, is one spirit. Wherever the spirit is, there is also life. Therefore Scripture says of God: 'Who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist' (Rom. 4:17); this means, he calls the nations that did not exist as his own people; for our ancestors were chosen by God. And elsewhere it is said: 'The Lord knows those who are his' (2 Tim. 2:19); he does not know those who are not his. And Esther says: 'Do not give your scepter to those who do not exist' (Esther 14:11). Therefore, the righteous man says rightly: And I passed by, and behold he was not; that is, I saw him exalted in the world before I considered that the world is nothing. But when I passed above the world in my mind, I saw that he who was before exalted in this world was no longer.
And you, if you are just, pass from present things to those things which are to come, and present things will pass away from you. Heaven and earth will pass away; but my words will not pass away (Matt. XXIV, 35). Therefore, all things pass away for the just. The wicked passes away, similar to vanity, and his days pass like a shadow. Not only do present things pass away from the just; but also when they intend to reach those things which are to come, those present things already pass away. See how present things have passed away from the just. Indeed, in the time of the prophet David, there was the Synagogue, but there was not yet the Church from the Gentiles. And he speaks of the future as if it were present, saying: Bless our God, O nations (Psalm 65:8). Furthermore, he says: God has ascended in jubilation (Psalm 47:6). The times of deceit will pass, not by age, but by mindset. And he celebrated the resurrection of the Lord, which would come many centuries later, with devout faith, saying: Sing to our God, sing; sing to our King, sing (ibid., 7). As though it were of interest to Christ himself and the sacraments of the wedding union of the Church, it leaps and rejoices. It also expressed the reason for the celebration, saying: The Lord has reigned over all the earth (Ibid., 8). Therefore, if we pass by, and those things which are to come seem to have passed by us; just as if you pass by land while sailing, you also see it pass by, and as if it were departing from you. Often sailors, especially in a storm, flee from land; and yet when they flee from it, it seems rather to flee from the sailors. And if you flee from this world, it too will flee from you; if you pass by this earth, it too will pass by you. And you sail in this sea, and in this age you fluctuate; flee the earth, it has rocks, it has stones; as it is written: Cast stones from the path (Isaiah 62:10). If you hasten through this airy abyss to the port of divine will, you will see that all these things have passed by you. For what difference does it make whether they have passed by, or whether you judge that you have passed them by?
There is another wicked one who appears exalted and elevated above the cedars of Lebanon; but if you pass by, he will not be, nor will you find his place. See to me a Jewish scribe returning the series of the old Scriptures, but not following; you hear that he gives it back with his lips, you wonder how learned he is. You ask what he believes: he answers according to the letter, he goes through the history. He seems to you to be exalted and elevated, if you consider the letter. Pass on to spiritual understanding, because the Law is spiritual; you see that he is nothing, then you say: I saw the wicked one exalted. ...and I passed by, and behold, he was not there; and I searched for him, and the place of him was not found. I searched for him where he should have been, where life is: I did not find him. He was not there, where life was; for he was dead, and therefore the place of him was not found. For what is the place of the dead, who was not, nor ever was? For he was not, who was in the letter; for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life. Therefore, I sought him, that I might find him: he did not present himself, that he might be found; that is, I wanted to convert him: he did not want to present himself to me, that he might be converted. I did what a seeker would do: he fled from that which should have returned. Finally, the soul that desires to be converted, seeks the Word; and when it finds it, it says: I have taken hold of him, and I will not let him go (Song of Solomon 3:4). That is, the Son of God, the Word of God. But the unjust person who refused to be healed, I sought him, and I did not find him; and therefore, do not imitate him.
"I passed by, and, lo, he was not! I sought him, and his place could nowhere be found!" [Psalm 37:36]. Why was he "no more, and his place nowhere to be found"? Because you have "passed by." But if you are yet carnally-minded, and that earthly prosperity appears to you to be true happiness, you have not yet "passed by" him; you are either his fellow, or you are below him; go on, and pass him; and when you have made progress, and hast passed by him, you observe him by the eye of faith; you see his end, you say to yourself, "Lo! He who so swelled before, is not!" just as if it were some smoke that thou were passing near to. For this too was said above in this very Psalm, "They shall consume and fade away as the smoke."...
One passes out of this world in two ways, either when it is left through a person’s superior way of life, or when it is forsaken in the end by the dead. So the one who has passed on to God with a most holy way of life no longer sees a sinner as a powerful individual, since he sees everything in which humans boast as powerless.… This world is known as the place of sinners where they both carry out their wicked deeds and where their wealth, with all its transitory joy, is piled high. But this place is destroyed along with their prosperity, when the glory of the entire corruptible world is brought to an end.
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Summary
Psalms 37:36 delivers a stark and profound observation regarding the ultimate fate of the wicked, contrasting their fleeting, apparent prosperity with their inevitable and absolute disappearance. The psalmist, King David, recounts a personal testimony of witnessing the unrighteous vanish utterly from the earth, leaving no enduring trace or legacy. This verse serves as a powerful affirmation of divine justice, assuring believers that God's righteous judgment will ultimately prevail, eradicating all evidence of evil and demonstrating the futility of a life lived apart from Him.
Context
Literary Context
Psalms 37 is a wisdom psalm, structured as an acrostic poem (though its acrostic nature is not perfectly preserved in all translations), and is attributed to David. Its central purpose is to instruct and encourage the righteous not to fret or envy the seeming prosperity of the wicked, but rather to cultivate trust in the Lord and to do good. Throughout the psalm, David repeatedly contrasts the transient success of the ungodly with the enduring blessedness, inheritance, and peace promised to those who live righteously. Verse 36 specifically follows the vivid imagery of the wicked "spreading himself like a green bay tree" in Psalms 37:35, emphasizing the sudden, complete, and irreversible cessation of their influence and presence. This verse then sets the stage for the subsequent affirmation of the righteous person's enduring peace and secure future in Psalms 37:37-38, reinforcing the psalm's overarching message of God's certain justice and perfect timing in bringing all things to their proper end.
Historical & Cultural Context
Composed in ancient Israel, likely during the reign of King David, Psalms 37 reflects a societal context where the concept of divine retribution and blessing was deeply ingrained in the national consciousness. In the ancient Near East, a person's "name," "legacy," and the continuation of their lineage were paramount, often extending through their descendants and their remembrance within the community. To "not be found" or for one's name to vanish was considered a severe form of judgment, signifying utter destruction, erasure from history, and oblivion. The psalm directly addresses a perennial human dilemma: why do the wicked often prosper while the righteous suffer? This question was particularly pressing in a covenantal society that expected immediate temporal blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. The psalmist offers a long-term, divine perspective, assuring the audience that God's justice, though not always immediate or evident to human eyes, is always certain, and that the ultimate outcome for the wicked is oblivion, while the righteous are secured.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several key themes woven throughout Psalms 37 and broader biblical wisdom literature. The most prominent is The Impermanence of Wicked Prosperity. What appears to be a strong, flourishing, or influential life gained through unrighteousness is ultimately transient and unsustainable, quickly vanishing without a lasting legacy or presence. This directly contrasts with the enduring inheritance promised to the righteous in Psalms 37:9. Another crucial theme is Divine Justice and Judgment. The phrase "he was not" points to an ultimate divine reckoning where the wicked are removed from the earth. This assures believers that God sees and will act, bringing about a just resolution, underscoring the certainty of God's judgment against evil, a theme consistently found throughout the Scriptures, as seen in Proverbs 10:25. Finally, the verse implicitly highlights The Contrast with the Righteous. By depicting the wicked's complete disappearance, the psalmist emphasizes the lasting inheritance, peace, and security of those who trust in the Lord, who "shall inherit the earth" as promised in Psalms 37:11.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
Derived from H5674, this verb literally means "to cross over," "to pass through," or "to go over." In this context, it signifies a transition from existence to non-existence, a vanishing or ceasing to be. It implies a swift, decisive movement, suggesting an abrupt and irreversible end to the wicked's apparent flourishing, much like a shadow passing over or a fleeting moment.
Derived from H1245, this primitive root means "to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive after." Here, it describes the psalmist's diligent effort to find the previously flourishing wicked person. The act of "seeking" underscores the thoroughness of the subsequent declaration that they "could not be found," emphasizing that no stone was left unturned in the search for their presence or legacy.
Derived from H4672, this primitive root means "to come forth to, i.e. appear or exist; transitively, to attain, i.e. find or acquire." In the negative construction "could not be found," it powerfully conveys a complete and utter absence. It's not merely that the wicked died, but that no trace, no remnant, no memorial, and no enduring influence of their life remained, signifying a total eradication from the fabric of reality and memory.
Verse Breakdown
"Yet he passed away"
This clause introduces the sudden, inevitable, and often unexpected demise of the wicked person, despite their prior apparent prosperity and strength. The initial "Yet" creates a sharp contrast with the preceding verse's image of the wicked flourishing, highlighting the surprising and decisive nature of their end. It signifies a profound transition from a state of vibrant being to a state of absolute non-being.
"and, lo, he [was] not"
This is a powerful, almost exclamatory declaration (indicated by "lo," an archaic interjection equivalent to "behold" or "look") that underscores the immediate and absolute absence of the wicked. The parenthetical "[was]" in the KJV indicates it is supplied for grammatical clarity in English, but the Hebrew simply states "he is not," conveying a complete and utter cessation of presence, as if they had never existed or had been completely erased.
"yea, I sought him, but he could not be found"
This final clause intensifies and personalizes the message of complete disappearance. The psalmist, David, personally attests to having diligently searched for the wicked—perhaps for their influence, their descendants, their property, or even their memory—but found absolutely nothing. This emphasizes the thoroughness and finality of their eradication, suggesting that no physical, social, or memorial trace remained, signifying a total lack of lasting legacy or impact.
Literary Devices
The psalmist employs several potent literary devices in Psalms 37:36 to convey its profound message of divine justice and the impermanence of evil. The primary device is Observation, as David recounts what he personally witnessed regarding the ultimate fate of the wicked, lending credibility and experiential weight to his pronouncement. This is immediately followed by stark Contrast, setting the wicked's previous flourishing (from Psalms 37:35, where they are compared to a green bay tree) against their sudden, absolute disappearance in verse 36. The phrase "he was not" employs a powerful form of Understatement or Litotes (an ironic understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary), conveying complete non-existence by simply stating their absence, thereby intensifying the sense of finality. Furthermore, the final declaration, "yea, I sought him, but he could not be found," utilizes Hyperbole to emphasize the thoroughness of the wicked's eradication. It's not merely that they died, but that no vestige of their existence, influence, or memory remained, painting a vivid picture of ultimate futility and demonstrating profound Poetic Justice.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Psalms 37:36 profoundly articulates God's unwavering commitment to justice and the ultimate futility of a life lived in rebellion against Him. It reassures believers that while evil may appear to triumph temporarily, its end is certain and absolute. This verse highlights the theological truth that God's sovereignty extends over all human affairs, ensuring that no unrighteousness will ultimately escape His judgment. The "passing away" and "not being found" of the wicked is a divine act, demonstrating that God is not indifferent to injustice but actively works to remove evil from His creation, making way for His righteous kingdom. It underscores the biblical principle that true prosperity and lasting legacy are found only in faithfulness to God, not in worldly gains achieved through unrighteous means. This passage serves as a powerful reminder that God's justice, though sometimes delayed from a human perspective, is never denied.
Reflection and Application
Psalms 37:36 offers both a profound warning and a deep wellspring of comfort for believers navigating a world often marked by injustice and the apparent success of the unrighteous. This verse calls us to a steadfast and patient trust in God's ultimate and perfect justice. It encourages us not to fret, be envious, or become disillusioned by temporary worldly success, for such gains are fleeting and lead to ultimate oblivion. Instead, we are exhorted to focus our energies and affections on cultivating a life of righteousness, knowing that our true inheritance and lasting legacy are found not in earthly achievements but in our enduring relationship with God. This passage reminds us that what truly endures is not worldly power, wealth, or fleeting influence, but a life lived in humble obedience and devotion to God's will. It challenges us to critically evaluate our own pursuits and priorities: are we building on a foundation that will inevitably "pass away" and "not be found," or on the enduring, unshakeable rock of God's truth and His eternal kingdom? It serves as a sober reminder that every life has an ultimate end, and only that which is done for God's glory and in accordance with His purposes will truly last and bear eternal fruit.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does "he passed away, and, lo, he was not" imply annihilation or merely physical death?
This phrase goes beyond simple physical death. While it certainly encompasses the cessation of physical life, the strong language of "was not" and "could not be found" suggests a complete erasure, not just from the land of the living, but from memory, influence, and any lasting legacy. It points to a divine judgment that utterly removes the wicked, signifying a lack of enduring impact or remembrance, unlike the righteous whose "memory is blessed" (Proverbs 10:7). It implies a spiritual, historical, and existential disappearance, where their life's work and influence ultimately come to nothing in the grand scheme of God's eternal purposes.
How does this verse reconcile with the fact that some wicked individuals or regimes seem to thrive for extended periods and leave significant historical marks?
Psalms 37, and this verse in particular, operates on a divine timetable and a spiritual understanding of "flourishing" and "disappearance." While some wicked individuals or empires may indeed last for generations and leave historical monuments, the psalm emphasizes their ultimate spiritual and moral futility. Their "flourishing" is temporary, like grass that withers (Psalms 37:2) or a flower that fades, and their "legacy" is often one of destruction, oppression, or is ultimately overthrown and forgotten in the long arc of history. From God's eternal perspective, their existence is fleeting, and their impact, though perhaps vast in human history, is ultimately nullified in the grand scheme of His righteous kingdom. The "not found" speaks to their lack of a lasting, positive, or God-honoring impact, as well as their ultimate removal from the presence of God.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Psalms 37:36 finds its ultimate fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ, who perfectly embodies the enduring righteousness that contrasts sharply with the fleeting existence of the wicked. While the wicked "pass away" and "are not found," Christ's kingdom is eternal, and His presence is everlasting. The judgment described here foreshadows the definitive victory of Christ over all evil, sin, and those who reject Him. Through His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, Jesus triumphed over sin and death, ensuring that those who trust in Him will never "pass away" into oblivion but will have eternal life, secured in Him (John 3:16). The "not found" aspect for the wicked is ultimately realized in the final judgment, where those whose names are "not found written in the book of life" are cast into the lake of fire, signifying their eternal separation from God and complete erasure from His righteous kingdom (Revelation 20:15). Conversely, Christ's followers, the truly righteous by faith in Him, are assured of an eternal inheritance and a lasting legacy in Him, for their lives are "hid with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3), and they will reign with Him forever. Thus, the psalmist's observation points forward to the ultimate establishment of Christ's righteous reign, where all that is unholy and unrighteous will be utterly removed, and His people will endure forever with Him in His everlasting dominion (Daniel 7:14).